Former Broncos LB John Huard dies at the age of 80

Former NFL linebacker John Huard died Jan. 29, the Broncos announced Monday. Huard was 80.

He played three seasons with the Broncos and one with the Saints after Denver made Huard a fifth-round draft choice in 1967.

Huard started 41 of the 42 games in which he appeared for Denver from 1967-69. He played only one game for the Saints in 1971 before moving on to the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes. Huard had six career interceptions in his NFL career.

Huard returned to his alma mater, the University of Maine, as an offensive line coach in 1974. He went on to serve as head coach of Acadia University in Nova Scotia (1979-83), leading the Axemen to the Canadian National Championships in 1979 and 1981. He also served as special teams coach of the Chicago Blitz (1983-84) and made coaching stops at Maine Maritime Academy and with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL.

He became the first player from the University of Maine to earn induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.